


Christmas Love

by supercalvin



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, F/M, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-07
Updated: 2013-12-07
Packaged: 2018-01-03 21:08:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1073063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/supercalvin/pseuds/supercalvin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The fluffiest christmas fluff to ever fluff.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Christmas Love

**Author's Note:**

> This is literally the cheesiest thing I've ever written, but it's all in the Christmas spirit!

Arthur heard the baby crying, but his conscious wasn’t awake, and his subconscious still yearned for sleep. It wasn’t until he felt the bed shift that he was roused from his sleep. He heard the door open.

“Gwen” a voice whispered.

“Merlin? Oh, I’m sorry he woke you.”

“Gwen it’s the holidays. I got him, go to sleep.”

“Merl-”

“You can lose sleep after we’re gone. I got him, get some rest.”

There was a silent pause.

“If you’re sure…”

“Of course, Gwen.”

Another door opened and James’ cries were louder and then they hushed down. There was the sound of Gwen go back to her and Lance’s room. Arthur got up from bed and slipped on a sleep shirt and flannel bottoms.

Gwen and Lance had decorated every part of their house for Christmas. Not only had there been a tree and stocking hung with care (including one for every friend and family member in the DuLanc household), but the hallway had fairy lights, the counters and cabinets were covered in tinsel and mistletoe hung under the door of the kitchen.

The fairy lights lit up Arthur’s pathway as he wandered down the hall to the nursery where baby James had been sleeping. He was silent, making sure not to disrupt anyone in the house.  Gwen and Lance had invited Merlin and Arthur to spend Christmas Eve-Eve and Christmas Eve with them. Morgana, Leon, Gwaine, Elena, and everybody else was to arrive tomorrow (Christmas Eve).

He took a peek inside the nursery and saw Merlin with the little bundle. He swayed the baby side to side as he slowly strolled around the room. Arthur smiled a little and his heart tightened at the sight of his boyfriend. Maybe if Arthur had been in a teasing mood he would have called Merlin a girl’s blouse, but Arthur hardly had the breath to breathe at the moment. He watched.

Every once and a while James would cry out and Merlin would hold him tighter. James began to cry again. Merlin “shh-ed” him and began to hum.

“Come stop your crying; it’ll be alright.” Merlin sang softly, and a little bit raspy from sleep. His voice was deep and it wasn’t perfect, but it was profoundly human.

“Just take my hand, hold it tight. I will protect you, from all around you. I will be here don’t you cry.” James stopped crying and he began an almost silent whimper. Merlin rocked him in his arms and kept singing very softly. Arthur wasn’t even sure Merlin was singing at all. It sounded more like talking softly. “For one so small, you seem so strong. My arms will hold you keep you safe and warm. This bond between us can’t be broken. I will be here don’t you cry.”

Merlin didn’t keep singing, instead he hummed the rest. Arthur might have to tease Merlin later, but Arthur couldn’t stop the smile on his face.

“Daddy?” Arthur spun on his heal. Elizabeth, Gwen and Lance’s other child, was standing in the hallway rubbing her eyes.

“No, it’s Uncle Arthur.” Arthur said as Lizzy walked up to him. He turned to Merlin and saw that he had been caught watching his boyfriend. Merlin tilted his head curiously but he didn’t speak. Arthur crouched down to Elizabeth’s height. She was only three years old. “Did you have a bad dream?” he whispered.

She nodded her head, and Arthur saw her little lower lip stick out like she might cry.

He shh-ed her and pulled her into a hug. She wrapped herself around him, like a little monkey. “It’s alright, Lizzy, it’s alright.” He petted her dark black hair that reminded him of Gwen.

“How about I read you a story and you can go back to sleep?” he whispered.

She looked away for a second like she didn’t know what to say. Then in a little voice that only children could use, she said. “Daddy usually sits with me and pets my hair ‘til I go to sleep.”

Arthur smiled at her. “Alright, come on.” He took a last look at Merlin, who gave him a funny look.  He still had the baby in his arms. Arthur was all of a sudden flooded with a million different feelings, and he had no idea how to handle a single one of them. He carried Lizzy back to her room and tried not to think about how much he wanted to tackle Merlin and kiss him all over.

He set her down in the bed and tucked the covers around her. He petted her curly hair as he sat on the edge of her bed. She snuggled up to him, and he ended up having to rest his back against the head board, afraid she might fall off the bed head first if she kept cuddling his leg on the side of the bed. He imagined Lance, the perfect father and husband, doing this for little Lizzy when she had nightmares and he smiled at his best friend.

“Uncle Arfur?” Lizzy slurred in her sleepy state.

“Yeah?” he whispered back.

“Can you tell me a story?”

“Sure” He got up from the tiny bed and grabbed the nearest book he could find. He started to read about a princess and a knight as he kept petting her hair and by the time he was on the second page she was fast asleep. Arthur sighed. Lizzy was clutching onto Uncle Arthur’s side. He didn’t want to disturb her so he settled down, putting the book on the floor, and fell asleep.

~

“Awww” Gwen cooed.

“God they’re so cute.” Lance chuckled.

“Where’s the camera?” Gwen asked. Lance held it up, one step ahead of his wife.

“He’s never going to forgive us.” Lance laughed as he took a picture of his best friend with his daughter. As he slept Arthur was holding Lizzy in an oddly protective manner. He looked like if anyone would try to take Lizzy, he would attack them. Somehow Lizzy had managed to turn Arthur into a complete sap. Here was this supposedly scary CEO of a huge corporation in a child’s bed that was covered in pink and purple butterflies. Lance took a couple photos.

“Hey, have you guys seen Arthur?” Merlin strolled into the bedroom, still in his sleep clothes.

“Yup” Lance laughed.

Merlin looked at Arthur on the bed. “Please tell me you got some pictures of that.”

Arthur roused. He blinked and looked up to see Gwen, Lance, and Merlin looking at him. He groaned as Lance took another picture. “What time is it?”

“Eight o’clock.” Gwen answered, “Want some coffee?”

Arthur nodded. Lizzy woke up, but she soon curled back into the warm bed and fell asleep.

They closed the door behind Arthur and headed down to the kitchen.

“Good morning.” Merlin pulled a sleepy Arthur into his arms and pressed a kiss to his cheek, which still had crease marks on it.

Arthur hummed. “Hey” his voice was low and still a little sleep idled.

“Merlin, can you help me with this?” Gwen called from the kitchen table. She had some decorations in her hand.

“Sure.” Merlin answered, but before he went to her, he kissed Arthur again. Arthur stared at Merlin for a long time. He watched as he helped Gwen rearrange the fake pine boughs and the ornaments for the window decorations. Arthur was never fond of Christmas as a child, but he had Merlin, Lance, and Gwen to remind him of the holiday spirit and childhood dreams. As anyone would expect if they knew Uther Pendragon, Christmas was never more than expensive presents and a kiss on the forehead for Arthur. But every Christmas that he spent with his friends, _with_ _Merlin_ , he grew fonder of the Christmas spirit. Every year he’d know Merlin, he watched the man become a child again as he baked cookies, watched Christmas specials, and bought (and sometimes made) presents for all his friends. And for the two Christmases that he’d been Merlin’s boyfriend he’d transformed Arthur’s cold apartment into a place Arthur could picture having Christmas there every year, instead of going to other people’s houses for Christmas. And in that moment, Arthur realized something.

Suddenly, he didn’t feel like he needed coffee at all. He went up to Lance.

“Hey, Lance?” Arthur leaned against the counter next to Lance as he watched him make coffee.

“Hm?” Lance looked over his shoulder to Arthur, with a raised eyebrow that asked Arthur why he was whispering.

“I have an idea, and I think I need your help.”

Lance smiled, like he already knew what Arthur was thinking.

~

Christmas Eve was always with friends, as was the tradition for the DuLanc’s. Along with Gwen, Lance, Lizzy, and James, there was Merlin and Arthur, Morgana and Leon, Gwaine, Elena, Elyan, Percival, Mithian, Will, and Freya.

Morgana and Leon were married, and Gwen and Lance were the only ones to have children, though Arthur was sure his sister would get pregnant soon. If he knew Leon at all, he’d suspect him to be a great father. Gwaine and Elena weren’t together but it was so close to happening that bets were being pooled as to when it would happen. 

It was nine in the evening on Christmas Eve. Everyone had just finished eating dinner and wine was being passed around again.

Lance clapped Arthur on the back, and Morgana gave him a strange smile that might actually have been kind and reassuring, but Arthur wasn’t exactly certain.

Arthur looked across the room to where Merlin had Lizzy in one arm. They were dipping biscuits into melted chocolate. Lizzy whispered something into his ear and Merlin whispered something back. She giggled so loudly that there was actually a ripple of laughter throughout the house as everyone caught onto her little squealing.

He handed her a biscuit and she nibbled on it like a little mouse. She got chocolate on her nose.

Gwaine passed by, for once not a drop of alcohol on him, which gave Arthur the idea that Gwaine might snag Elena tonight. Well damn, that means Elyan won the bet. That bastard, Arthur had bet New Years. Arthur grabbed Gwaine’s arm. Gwaine stopped and looked at Arthur.

Arthur smirked, “You think you can get Lizzy away from Merlin?” Gwaine let out a booming laugh and winked at Arthur.

“Where’s my princess?” Gwaine boomed loudly. “Merlin! Stop kidnapping my Princess! Evil Sorcerer! Evil!” Gwaine swooped in and grabbed the little girl from Merlin. She giggled endlessly.

“Stop it Unc’e G’aine!” she laughed breathlessly, “Mer’in help!”

Gwaine started to tickle her and all hope was lost. Merlin was laughing at the sight of Gwaine, the man who could sweep any woman or man alike off his or her feet, and yet Lizzy had him wrapped around his finger.

Arthur wrapped his arms around Merlin’s waist and pressed his lips to the long white neck. Merlin leaned back into Arthur. “Hey” He sighed in greeting. Arthur held onto him tighter.

“Where have you been all day?” Merlin asked as Arthur rested his chin on Merlin’s shoulder.

“Christmas stuff” Arthur replied.

“Yeah?” Merlin raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

“Come on, I have something to show you.” Arthur grabbed Merlin’s hand and led him out of the kitchen. They were at the doorway between the kitchen and the living room when a roar of yelling and cheering exploded. Merlin jumped but he soon remembered why.

He looked up. “You git! You did that on purpose!” Merlin yelled as he stared up at the mistletoe above his head. Arthur’s smirk said it all.

“Kiss him!” Gwaine called, Lizzy wrapped around his side.

“Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!” Will cheered. Merlin glared at him, as he contemplated why Will was his friend.

Arthur leaned forward but didn’t kiss Merlin. He pulled Merlin so that his lips were right by his ear. “Close your eyes.”

“What?” Merlin studied Arthur’s face, but it was only smirking back at him. Everyone was watching and Merlin figured he might as well just close his eyes.

Arthur pulled away. He saw Merlin frown a little.

“Open.”

“You didn’t even kiss me!” Merlin objected and there was a mummer of laughter around the room.

“Open your eyes, you idiot.” Arthur demanded in his condescending voice that Merlin loved.

Merlin opened his eyes. Arthur wasn’t in front of him. He looked around and found Arthur. In front of him. On one knee. With a box in his hand.

“Holy--” Merlin had to cover his mouth to stop the curse word from reaching Lizzy’s ears. His eyes widened and he could swear his veins were going to burst.

“Arthur?” he gaped. He held his hand to his mouth. He might have been afraid of bursting, with what, he knew not.

“Marry me, Merlin.” Arthur looked up at him. It sounded like a command, but then again, it also sounded like he was begging. His big blue eyes belonged to the same arrogant prat they had always belonged to, but they were also filled with love and maybe a little bit of fear too.

“I love you, Merlin.” The tears welling up in his eyes mirrored those of Merlin’s. “I want you to be the person by my side for the rest of our lives. You can tell me to stop being a prat when I’m being one, and I’ll tell you to shut up when you keep rambling on. I want to have a family with you. I want to be that old annoying couple that argues and bickers. Please say you’ll be my husband?”

Merlin had to take a shuttering breath but then he was nodding his head furiously. Merlin tackled Arthur when he stood up, his long legs curling around Arthur’s waist and his hands gripping Arthur’s neck. He kissed him hard.

A cheer blasted through the party and there were wolf whistles all around. Arthur laughed a little hysterically and pulled away from Merlin, who stood back on the ground.

He took Merlin’s left hand and opened the box. Merlin sniffled and laughed at the same time as Arthur put it on his finger. It was a simple silver band with three square diamonds embedded in the band so that the diamonds were flat on the top.

Merlin looked at it and then up to Arthur. Arthur held Merlin’s face and whispered softly, tapping on the three diamonds, “Past, Present and Future.”

Merlin’s smile was brighter than all the faery lights in the room.

 

**Author's Note:**

> If you're wondering the song Merlin sings is "You'll be in my Heart" by Phil Collins, from Tarzan.


End file.
